Application Requirements

Application Materials

All application materials are submitted via the online application system. Applications must include all required materials (below). Your application may not be forwarded to the admissions committee if it is missing any required documents.

Bachelor's Degree or the Equivalent

Applicants must have completed or expect to complete a four-year bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) by the beginning of the fall 2016 semester semester with the equivalent of a 3.0 GPA (B average) on the U.S. 4.0 scale. For international applicants, specific equivalencies by country are available on the
USC Graduate School website.

Letters of Recommendation

(1) Letters of recommendations are submitted via the online recommendation system. In the online
application, you will submit the names and email addresses exactly three recommenders. The system
will send them an email that provides instructions on how to submit the recommendation letter on your
behalf.

The admissions committee prefers recommendations from academics familiar with your scholastic and
research capabilities; those from faculty members with whom you have worked in a research capacity are particularly valued. If you have been away from the academic environment, you may submit one reference from a non-academic in place of one academic reference.

Statement of Purpose and Statement of Research Experience

The statements should generally address the questions below. You may combine your answers into one response or submit them separately. There are no page limits or word count requirements.

Statement of Purpose:

Please describe why you wish to pursue a Ph.D. degree in Business Administration in your chosen field of specialization. Please also explain why you believe that the Marshall School of Business would be a good fit for you.

Research Experience:

Please describe significant academic research experience you have had, if any. Indicate who you worked with, the topic you studied, the skills you developed, activities you engaged in and the output from the project (e.g., conference paper, publication).

Transcripts

Uploading unofficial (student) transcripts via the online application system is a requirement to complete the Marshall Ph.D. application. You should not have official transcripts mailed to USC unless we directly request them. If you do have official transcripts mailed to USC, you still need to upload unofficial transcripts in the online application system because the official copies are not immediately available to the Marshall Ph.D. program

Please do not upload protected PDF copies of the transcript to the online application system.

Official transcripts will be requested of applicants who proceed to Round 2 of applications review. Round 2 decisions are sent in mid- to late-February.

GRE, GMAT, IELTS & TOEFL Score Reports

(1) GRE and GMAT should be taken within 5 years from the date of application submission.

(2) TOEFL and IELTS should be taken within 2 years from the start of the academic semester applied for. For example, when applying for Fall 2016, the TOEFL must be taken after August 1, 2014.

(3) Uploading unofficial (student) score reports via the online application system is a requirement to complete the Marshall Ph.D. application. We know that you may have requested official score reports be sent to USC when you took your exams, but, unfortunately, these records are not immediately available to the Marshall Ph.D. program. Even if you have requested official score reports to be sent to USC, you still need to upload the unofficial (student) score report to the online system to ensure timely review of your application.

Official test score reports will be requested of applicants who proceed to Round 2 of applications review. Round 2 decisions are sent in mid- to late-February.

Who is Required to Demonstrate English Proficiency

Even if you have earned a graduate, master's, and/or Ph.D. degree in the U.S. or another English-speaking country, you must submit a TOEFL or IELTS score.

IELTS Score Requirements

IELTS scores are valid for two years from the intended date of enrollment. Applicants for Fall 2016 must have taken the IELTS between August 2014 and August 2016.
For more information about IELTS or to register for an exam, visit http://www.ielts.org/